Festival

Día de los Muertos Festival

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Festival

Día de los Muertos Festival

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Benefiting Bare Hands Inc.

Thursday, November 2, 2017PEPPER PLACE 4PM - 10PM

Join Bare Hands (501C3) as we celebrate life at our 15th Day of the Dead Festival on Thursday, November 2, 2017 in the streets of Pepper Place. Celebrate the lives of those that came before and those that are still with us through music, memorial roll call, jazz street parade, the Frida Kahlo Ceremony, dance, food vendors, the Corona Beer Garden, art, kids’ activities and most importantly the altars erected to those we have loved.

Please do NOT bring your pets or cooler or picnic baskets. Please do bring yourselves and friends and a small altar or memento of remembrance. Dress in bones, as a sugar skull or for a fiesta!

age 13 and older - $10 + fees| Kids age 12 to 7 - $5 + fees | Free age 6 and under

Memorial Roll Call

Memorial Roll Call

Memorial Roll Call

Memorial Roll Call

Memorial Roll Call

As the sun begins to set on November 2nd we begin our festival with a memorial roll call. The festival emcees call out the names of loved ones who are no longer with us in this life. Participants in the audience answer, "present," or "presente," or however they wish to recognize their departed loved ones. We do this to honor their memory and to remind us all that they remain with us in our hearts and in our lives.

To honor as many families as possible, we ask that you limit your roll call submissions to a maximum of three loved ones.

FESTIVAL MAP

FESTIVAL MAP

Altars

Altars

Altars

Altars

Make an Altar

Memorial Altar Box Making Classes$10 per student

Altar classes are a part of the festival's education outreach. Creating one of these remembrances is a great way to learn more about the traditions of Día de los Muertos and form a personal connection with the holiday. No artistic talent is needed, desire to make a memorial for someone important to you is all that is required. At times remembering close family or friends is too difficult, therefore, we also encourage you to create memorials for mentors, heroes and pets.

We are excited to offer these classes at Do*It*Yourself Crafts located at 1909 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL 35209. Register now - class sizes are limited to 20 people. Bring your payment to the class in cash or as a check made out to Bare Hands Inc.

Bring an Altar

A meaningful way to participate in Birmingham's Day of Dead Festival is to bring a personal remembrance for a lost loved one. These personal memorials, known as altars or ofrendas, vary from a single photograph of your loved one to an elaborate shrine in honor of that loved one. Everyone is welcome to bring an altar to the festival. We have a large covered Public Altar space especially for you and a few spaces for reservation for larger altars. Please read the guidelines below about sizes and remembering to take your altar back home.

General Information about altars of remembrance

Día de los Muertos is a rich and soulful way to honor our ancestors and to cherish and remember lost loved ones in the company of community. The ancient belief asserts that the souls of the deceased come to visit during Day of the Dead guided by the familiar sights and fragrances of the items on their altars and the sound of their loved ones gathered round.

The annual Día de los Muertos arts and culture festival presented by Bare Hands commemorates this artful remembrance celebration, which most commonly takes place on November 1st (All Saints' Day) and November 2nd (All Souls' Day).

Altars (ofrendas) often contain: Remember to use copies of original items on your altar so that irreplaceable mementos are not lost or damaged

Photos of the departed

Their favorite things in life, such as foods, books, games, beverages, cigarettes, etc.

Marigolds, coxcomb or other flowers

Prayer candles

Votive candles (battery operated are good for the festival)

Water and salt to revive the soul after its long journey to visit

The festival provides many prayer candles, votives, and small dishes of water and salt on the public altar spaces.

Other traditional elements which can also be added to altars:

Skeletons depicting the departed going about everyday activities in the hereafter

Bright colorful sugar skulls decorated with royal icing (dry sugar skulls are not very attractive to ants)

Pan de muerto (bread of the dead) - a special bread baked for the occasion.

If you bake or buy pan de muerto for the festival we suggest the kind without sugar to draw less ants.

Guidelines for Public Altars

Small Altars

Feel free to bring a ofrenda or memorial altar for your lost loved one. Please follow these guidelines. Please follow these guidelines.

The festival has public altar locations to house your memorial altar.

The maximum altar size is 2ft wide x 2ft high x 1ft deep.

You may bring your altar to our site on Thursday, Nov 2 between 1p and 3p or during the festival from 4:00pm until it closes at 10:00pm.

Altar ambassadors will be on site to assist you Nov 2

Please take your altar back home when you leave the festival!

Altars left after 11 pm on Nov 2 will be discarded.

Remember to use photocopies and replicas of valued photos and mementos. The tent is not guaranteed protection from wind and weather.

We have a few spots available for larger altars.(8ftx4ft) If you are interested in one, follow the link for LARGE ALTARS. Spots are assigned first come first serve.

If your altar is small (size of a milk crate) you can simply bring it to the festival and place it in the Public Altar space.

Set up

Please bring your altarThursday, November 2 During the festival from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pmVolunteers at the Public Altar area can help you from opening until 7:00 pm.

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Pick up

Please pick up your altar

When you leave the festival on Thursday, November 2

Altars left after Thursday, November 2 will be discarded.

Large Altars

LARGE ALTARS GUIDELINES Thank you for your interest in reserving a large altar space for this year’s event. We have limited spaces available so the spaces will be offered in first come first serve basis.

Your altar installation should be respectful of the Day of the Dead holiday, and be suitable for all audiences.

You need to provide your own table or structure; 8x4 feet max. We will have a warehouse where you could work on your altar prior to the festival.

Due to our new site at Pepper Place Altars/Ofrendas must be freestanding, nothing may be affixed to any wall.

Set up

Please bring your altarThursday, November 2 between9:00 am - 2:00 pm

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Pick up/Beak down

Please pick up your altar:

Thursday, November 2 between 10 pm - 11 pmThe Day of the Dead committee will not be responsible for items not picked up by 11:00 p.m. on November 2.

Mercado

Mercado

Mercado

Mercado

Face Painters

Our amazingly talented face painters that give life and the authentic look to the Dia de los Muertos festival will be available from 4PM - 10PM in the mercado. We want to see your beautiful face painting. Be sure to tag us on Instagram and Facebook. #dotdalabama #ddlmalabama

Alabama Artists

Local artists from Alabama will come together to share their Day of the Dead inspired craft. Be sure to visit the Mercado from 4PM - 10PM and take a unique Dia de los Muertos artisan creation with you. "Nuestra casa es su casa."

Kids' Craft Area

Enjoy the Kids' Craft area sponsored by The Birmingham Museum of Art. Open from 4PM - 7PM.

Children's Activity - Free

Vendors

Vendors

Vendors

Vendors

Food

The Day of the Dead festival hosts some of the most authentic Mexican food vendors in the Birmingham area. Enjoy many of your favorite foods like street tacos, tamales, aguas frescas, tortas, quesadillas, gorditas, corn on the cob, and much more. If you would like to apply to be a food vendor at our festival, please fill out the attached form.